When I look through the lens I see beauty
Base of operations: NORTH MIAMI
How to contact this artist: Via email
Website https://events.susanalvarez.net/ArtandPhotographyDigitallyEnha
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/susan.alvarez
Twitter https://twitter.com/susanalvarez
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/susaalvare/
Background: Photographer / Artist / Writer
When I look through the lens, I see beauty and discovered my passion for creating images. My life as an artist began in the New York theatre community as an actor and dancer. A move to Los Angeles expanded my experience in the theatre and film to include directing but, through it all, I always had a camera at my side.
Tour: I’ve always enjoyed being in the Spoken Soul Festival for SWAN Day (Support Women Artists Now). It’s empowering and I loved premiering my work at that event. Don’t know if I would call it a “horror” story because it had a happy ending; I was running late and picked up a rolled-up print on my way to the show, put it on the back seat as I sped off, it fell and a suitcase crushed it. It was my main piece and I cried when I thought it was ruined but I hung it anyway and a collector loved the creases & bought it as is. At another show, we chased art down the street as sudden high winds pick up and flung everything around at an outdoor festival.
Career: When I moved to Miami there just wasn’t enough work for actors, so I turned to my hobby, photography as a way to support myself.
As a professional stills photographer, my photographs and artwork are exhibited in private and public collections.
I have a multifaceted background in theatre, film and newspaper production. I’ve written extensively on health and wellness and the arts, authored coffee table book, Clínica Borinquen: A Legacy for the People.
Inspiration: If I’m being honest, it would be anxiety. I don’t worry about connecting to anyone while in the middle of creating. It’s after that I start to worry if it makes sense if it will be understood or if anyone would even like it. What informs my choices in what I create is usually what’s going on at that time. Dealing with age, with love, with money, with loss, with pain, with politics, etc and my background, my culture. I will say this, I do suffer chronic impostor syndrome.
Outreach: These days on social media. It’s where everything happens. I’d like it if someone else took on that role on.
Medium: I shoot for a living and digitally enhancing photos is my superpower. Mostly it started as one would doodle on a note pad, which I did all the time until I found the same calming effect on a computer. I also tend to use various rudimentary software, especially older versions and I move the image I’m working on back and forth between them. There isn’t necessarily a “polished” look to my work and I’m ok with that.
Why here tho? It’s hot which is also why I’m thinking of becoming a snowbird
Favorites: Peter Max was everywhere and I loved all the wild colors & had many of his posters.
Lorenzo Homar, a graphic artist his work was everywhere in the Puerto Rican culture in New York. Andy Warhol was able to use a can of soup and call it art & that gave me hope. Keith Haring’s street art had everyone asking, why is that there? Annie Leibovitz’s portraits are unmatched in storytelling and are works of art. Alberto Vargas – love the vintage pin-up girls. I would ask them all, Is it ok if someone just wants to buy art to match the couch?
Suggestions: Stay open to all the possibilities/opportunities that might come your way. Say yes! Figure it out later, you might surprise yourself
Life: I believe what you guys do is important to the artists, to the art community and the community at large even if they don’t get why. For the artists, arts organizations like Life is Art, frees the artist of one less thing to have to deal with so they can focus on what they do best, create
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